Myanmar fighting spills into Thailand, 2 killed

Myanmar fighting spills into Thailand, 2 killed

BANGKOK (AP): Heavy fighting between Myanmar troops and a
rebel group spilled into Thailand on Sunday, killing two
civilians and injuring at least 37 soldiers, the Thai army said.

The fighting erupted in at least three Myanmar border areas
between Myanmar soldiers and the Shan State Army, a guerrilla
group fighting for independence for the ethnic Shan minority.

There was no word on casualties from the Myanmar side, and the
Myanmar government would not comment on the fighting.

Thailand said it was taking a "very serious" view of the
fighting.

"We will use all necessary means to protect our sovereignty
and territorial integrity," Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman
Pradap Pibulsonggram told The Associated Press.

"We would also like to see the problem resolved as soon as
possible and we call on Myanmar to cooperate with us," he said,
adding that diplomatic action will be taken on Monday. He did not
elaborate.

Thai army spokesman Somkuan Sangpataranet told the AP that
Myanmar troops fired a barrage of shells at the guerrillas, and
some landed across the border in the northern Thai town of Mae
Sai, killing two people.

He said Thai troops also fought a gun battle with about 200
Myanmar soldiers who intruded onto Thai soil in the nearby Mae
Fah Luang district while chasing the Shan rebels. Seven Thai
soldiers were injured in the fighting, he said.

Thai army Lt. Gen. Wathanachai Chaimuanwong said the Myanmar
troops captured 19 Thai soldiers, but a Thai unit later rescued
them. Some 30 Myanmar soldiers were injured in the fighting with
the Shan army, he told reporters.

According to unconfirmed reports, two Myanmar soldiers were
killed, Col. Somsuk Suansombat, a Thai army intelligence officer,
said.

A border committee was trying to convince the Myanmar troops
to withdraw from the mountainous area, where the border is often
fuzzy and an uneasy truce prevails.

Somkuan, the army spokesman, said that in a third incident,
Myanmar troops fired automatic rifles at a Thai army helicopter
on a supply mission flight over Mae Aye, about 100 kilometers (60
miles) from Mae Sai. The aircraft was damaged but landed safely,
he said.

The Myanmar soldiers appeared to have launched the operation
to pave the way for the United Wa State Army, a pro-government
group, to take full control of the region.

The Wa enjoy virtual autonomy in the area, while Shan militias
have fought the Myanmar government for independence for the past
four decades, funding the resistance with drugs.

Because of the fighting, authorities closed the border
crossing at Mae Sai, which is on the northernmost tip of
Thailand, about 720 kilometers (440 miles) north of Bangkok.

After about 10 shells landed in Mae Sai, shopkeepers closed
their shops and the streets became deserted, said Fuen Kam, a
resident contacted by telephone. He said the rockets damaged some
buildings.

"This is some of the heaviest fighting I have ever heard in
the area," Fuen Kam told the AP before leaving town with hundreds
of other residents.

Most of the serious fighting is believed to be taking place at
a hill about three kilometers (two miles) west of the town of
Thakhilek, which is separated from Mae Sai by a canal.